The Sims 4 Decade Challenges Guide

The Decades Challenge in The Sims 4 offers a unique opportunity to experience the evolution of society through the lens of your Sims. By guiding your Sims through various decades, starting from the 1890s and progressing to the present, you’ll gain firsthand insight into the challenges and triumphs of each era.

This challenge highlights the historical context, incorporating rules that reflect each decade’s societal norms, technological advancements, and cultural shifts. While the challenge might be complex rules, some are not compulsory, so you can skip them.

However, if you want to experience the historical timeline completely, we suggest you play by the rules and travel back from the 1890s to the 2020s!  

What are Decade Challenges in The Sims 4?

The decade challenges allow your Sims to experience historical events with restrictions regarding gender, race, and class, from experiencing wars to welcoming new technologies. There are 14 generations to play that are all distant by a decade.

Each decade comes with its own rules so you can create your unique story mimicking the historical aspect of the time. You must focus on building wealth, surviving hardships, and making successful careers.

The Sims 4 Decades Challenge Rules

Each decade in the Decades Challenge has its own set of rules. Your Sim must wear era-appropriate clothing, use only that era’s technology, and have residence and status accordingly. This will give you the actual essence of living through the decades.

Following are some rules that you should abide by while starting the Decades Challenge in Sims 4:

• Starting Sim: Your starting Sim must be a Young Adult or a couple, but both must be Young Adults.
• Clothing: There aren’t many restrictions on what you can dress your sim in. However, it is advised that your sim wear clothes that are appropriate for the starting decade, the 1890s.
• Residence: You can live anywhere except Del Soy Valley and Stranger Ville. If you are starting with a single Sim, you can live in an apartment. If it is a married couple of Sims, then they can only live in a house.
• Finances: You cannot use money cheats. The house or apartment you start with must be bought with the money you already have.
• Technology: You should not use appliances not present in the decade, such as cell phones and computers. You can use them only if necessary until they are decade-appropriate.
•  Lifespan: Your Sim should have a normal lifespan for the first seven decades (1890 to 1950). Shift your lifespan to ‘Long Lifespan’ after that.
• Wars: You must go through wartime and find a cow plant.

The 1890 Decade – The Eve of 20^th Century

Marriage	Your spouse should be of the same race as you and be of the opposite gender. You cannot use “Woohoo.”
Career	Choose a trait for your children. Once they reach their teenage years, they need to attend high school, and you don’t have to pay fees.
Electricity	No electricity is available, so you can only use candles for lighting.
Festivals	Going to any festival is not allowed.
Lifestyle	You can hire a maid or butler but not a nanny. Also, you cannot use a shower and must go outdoors to relieve yourself.
Children	Choose a trait for your children, and once they reach their teenage years, they need to attend high school, and you don’t have to pay fees.

The 1900 Decade – Edwardian Era

Career	Male sims can be doctors, musicians, scientists, writers, painters, etc. Women can earn money by gardening, painting, and being florists.
Electricity	Electricity is now available for lighting.
Festivals	Going to any festival is not allowed.
Lifestyle	Still, there are no showers, but a bathtub and indoor plumbing are available.
Requirement	You should have a Cow Plant before the 1900s end.

The 1910 Decade – World War I

Career	Male Sims returned from war and can pursue a career in business as a chef, doctor, engineer, etc. Female Sims can be chefs, painters, politicians, or scientists.
Electricity	Portable generators are now available.
Lifestyle	You can have Murphy beds and drywall/painted walls.
War	The war begins in this decade, so you must send the men off to war through the Cow Plant. The men can die or survive. The surviving men have trauma from the war, so they can only have a few specific traits such as Lazy, Gloomy, Mean, etc.

The 1920 Decade – Roaring Twenties

Career	Female Sims earned inheritance rights and can work (in any profession) even if single, married, divorced, or widowed.
Electricity	All forms of lighting are available.
Festivals	The Harvest festival is now allowed.
Lifestyle	Radios and movies are now allowed.

The 1930 Decade – The Great Depression

Career	Both male and female Sims can work in different careers but cannot pursue a business career.
Finances	Pay bills, war veterans can receive pensions, and anyone with a career at the start of the decade loses their job after 1 week.
Holiday	Halloween is recognized as a holiday.
Sim Trait	Sims who reach adulthood in this decade can only be Gloomy, Noncommital, and Mean.
Lifestyle	Alcohol is allowed.

The 1940 Decade – World War II

Career	Both male and female Sims can work in different careers, but males cannot work in any other career until they return from the war.
Relationship	Sims can have relationships with other races but cannot marry them.
Holiday	Holiday decorations are allowed.
Sim Trait	Sims returning from war suffer from trauma and will be Gloomy, Noncommital, Mean, Paranoid, and Hot-Headed.
Lifestyle	You can use washing machines and dryers.

The 1950 Decade – Korean War

Career	The eldest male child must enlist in the war, and the eldest female child should become a nurse. As for careers, all previous occupations are available.
Finances	WWII veterans can receive pensions.
Technology	You can have a TV, PC, cell phone, and smoke detectors.
Lifestyle	Showers, different flooring, and private pools are now allowed. Adoption is also allowed.

The 1960 Decade – Civil Rights, Sexual Revolution, and Counterculture

Career	The eldest two children are sent to the Vietnam War. As for careers, all previous occupations are available, along with Astronauts and Secret Agents.
Relationships	Interracial marriages are allowed, and people of the same gender can form relationships. Teenagers can also make out. Moreover, your Sim can now have sexual relations without making a baby every time.
Finances	War veterans can receive pensions.
Lifestyle	You can have furniture now and also a better television.

The 1970 Decade – Feminism and Environmentalism

Career	All previous occupations are available, along with a Detective Career for women.
Relationships	Marriage is no longer required to continue the lineage.
Festivals	Going to festivals is also permissible now.
Technology	Solar panels are used now.
Lifestyle	Any Sim born in the 1970s must be Active, Vegetarian, and Love the Outdoor due to the environmentalism of this decade. Moreover, Microwaves, dishwashers, and plastic goods are now allowed.

The 1980 Decade – The Yuppies

Career	All previous occupations are available for both male and female Sims. Moreover, at least one sim of this decade should be in business.
Traits	Due to the Yuppie era, kids born in the 1980s can be Ambitious, Snob, Perfectionists, or Self Assured.
Technology	Cell phones and video games (PC and gaming consoles can be used) are now allowed.
Lifestyle	Handheld vacuum cleaners and fitness equipment are allowed.

The 1990 Decade – Globalization

Career	All previous occupations are available, and men can take paternity leave after childbirth.
Technology	You must spend 3 days in a safe house built inside your basement.
Lifestyle	Play Dates are now a trend.
Requirement	You need to spend 3 days in a safe house built inside your basement.

The 2000 Decade – The 21^st Century

Career	All previous occupations are available, and men can take paternity leave after childbirth.
Technology	Earbuds and robot vacuums are now allowed.

The 2010 Decade – The Digital Age

Career	All previous occupations besides journalism are available.
Relationships	Homosexual marriages are allowed.
Lifestyle	You can also adopt children as it is encouraged.

The 2020 Decade – A Global Pandemic

Career	All previous occupations allowed for male and female Sims. Besides medical career, you must continue other careers from home.
Requirement	Use facemasks while leaving home.